Tornadoes Don't Always Take You to Oz
by Jen and Holly
Summary: When the best friends Jackie and Lydia are picked up by a tornado and transported to Middle Earth, they find out that tornados don't always take you to Oz. Better than the summary makes it sound. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Jen: Anything you recognize... we don't own, so please don't sue. We're poor people. All we own is ourselves and a ninja. (and Jackie & Lydia, of course)**

**Holly: Sorry, the ninja ran away.**

**Jen: Okay, all we own is ourselves.**

**Holly: You sold us, remember? To the ninja.**

**Jen: Dang-nabit! I forgot! By the way, you were only worth a piece of lint.**

**Holly: Yum.**

**This story is dedicated to Jen's cousin and our good friend, Shelby.**

Chapter One

Another clap of thunder shook the house, and lightning illuminated the dimly lit dining room. Jackie stood by the backdoor of the house, watching the windblown trees outside the window. She frowned in concern. The weather had grown increasingly severe throughout the day, and though she was worried, her best friend was more than content to order her around while lounging on the sofa and watching T.V. In fact, at that moment she was supposed to have been collecting an assortment of chips and cookies from the pantry, but the howling wind and pounding rain had drawn her attention to the nearest window.

Lydia's voice carried from the living room. "Jackie! You wanna hurry up?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Tearing her hazel eyes away from the storm, she hurried into the kitchen pantry and grabbed several cans of pringles and a package of oreo cookies, sighing in aggravation. She would have preferred to keep the pantry stocked with healthy snacks, but she had made the mistake of letting Lydia do the grocery shopping the week before. Attempting to keep the stack of goodies from falling onto the tile floor below, she made her way into the living room of the small house she and her best friend shared.

Lydia was seated on the couch, her feet propped up on the wooden coffee table, watching a program on MTV. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun at the back of her head, and she was wearing pink fleece pajama pants and a white lace tank. Even on a lazy day she managed to look stunning, and Jackie couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Of course, Jackie was quite pretty herself, although she lacked Lydia's graceful gait and flair for style.

Placing the snacks on the coffee table in front of Lydia, she plopped down by her friend. Yet another gale carrying a torrent of rain blasted the house. "Hey, Lydia, can I check the news really fast?" Jackie asked, holding her hand out for the T.V. remote.

Lydia glanced at her and gave her a defiant pout. "No," she answered. "I'm watching this." Turning her emerald gaze back to the television screen, she grasped the remote that had previously been laying on the small table by the couch and held it at her side. Jackie glared and reached over Lydia for the black device. Smiling, Lydia held it out beyond Jackie's reach.

Jackie sighed. "Come on, Lydia. Please?"

"No," Lydia chuckled.

Jackie growled in irritation and crawled over her friend, stretching for the remote, but it was always just beyond her fingers. "Lydia! Give me the remote!"

"You gotta reach for it!" Lydia taunted.

"I'm trying!" Jackie was almost completely on top of Lydia, and she could just touch the side of the remote with the tip of her middle finger.

"Not hard enough!" Sticking her tongue out, she slid out from under Jackie and stood from the couch.

"Urgh!" Jackie growled, standing as well. "I said please! You're just being a jerk now!" Lydia smiled once again, an eyebrow cocked in spite. Jackie went for the remote at Lydia's side but she held it just out of her best friend's reach. "Lydia!" Jackie huffed angrily as she stretched for the remote clutched in Lydia's fingers. "You know that's not fair!" Thunder crashed outside, rattling the windows, and a heavy rain pattered the roof. 'Dead and Gone' by T.I. blared through the television speakers. "I need to watch the news! The weather has been getting worse!" She attempted to jump for the device, but Lydia simply stretched her arm higher, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

"Jackie! Calm down. It's just a bit of thunder." She tossed the remote onto the couch, and Jackie snatched it up quickly before Lydia could decide that she wasn't done playing keep-away.

Suddenly three loud, drawn-out beeps emitted from the speakers, and the television screen turned blue. Scrolling across the screen in large white letters was _TORNADO WARNING. _The two girls stared at the T.V. in silent surprise. "No way," Lydia muttered. Another earthshaking roll of thunder, accompanied by a flash of lightning, sent the entire house into chaos.

Lydia let out a scream of panic when the lights flickered and failed, startling Jackie into action. "Lydia!" she yelled over the deafening pound of rain and thunder. "Run upstairs and get blankets and flashlights! I'll clear out the closet!" Eyes wide, Lydia gave an anxious nod and dashed up the stairs.

Jackie hastened to the hallway closet and yanked it open. She was met by an avalanche of inflatable beach toys. She tossed everything toward the kitchen entrance, not caring enough to watch where it wound up. It took her a good few minutes to get it all cleared away, and she stumbled back through the mess. She stopped suddenly, once back in the doorway of the closet, and listened. In her moment of haste she had not realized the absence of rain pouring onto the house, nor the missing wind howling through the trees in the backyard. Everything was still. She hurried into the living room and leaned over the back of the love seat until she could peer out the window. Nothing moved but the small stir of a few leaves. Pressing her face against the glass, she gazed beyond the houses of their neighborhood. The clouds were an eerie green color and Jackie's heart began to pound as she watched the sky. A funnel was forming not far in the distance and it slowly reached for the ground. She could hear Lydia still rummaging through the storage closet upstairs.

"Lydia!" she called, swallowing her panic. "You may want to hurry!" A door slammed and footsteps came from the above hallway.

"Coming!" Lydia bounded down the stairs, clearing the last two with a single jump. Her arms were full of blankets and clutched in each hand was a flashlight. Handing one to Jackie, they made for the closet.

Lydia felt Jackie shove her through the closet doorway. She stumbled against the wall and turned to find Jackie shutting the door as she entered behind, thrusting them into darkness. Lydia fumbled with her flashlight, finding it difficult to turn it on with shaking hands. Suddenly Jackie's flashlight lit the small space and Lydia gave up on her own. Tossing a blanket at Jackie, the two of them huddled against the wall in the floor of the closet. It seemed like days had passed in the moment they sat in apprehensive silence. But not long after they had taken shelter the wind whistled menacingly around the corners of the house. The wood began to creak threateningly and the girls clutched their blankets tighter as the foundation of the house began to shake. A great roaring filled the air around them.

"What's happening?!" Lydia shrieked in fear.

They could hear the sound of glass exploding from the windows and Jackie cursed herself for forgetting to open them. Furniture crashed through the living and dining rooms and the sound of wood being stripped from the wall, followed by the clang of many pots and pans, came from the kitchen. There was a loud creaking as the doors were ripped from their metal hinges and multiple crashes as they were blown throughout the house. Long seconds passed, the sounds of their house's destruction reverberating in their ears. Suddenly there was a great shudder, and Jackie and Lydia were thrust against the opposite wall. The entire house shook with unsteadiness and with an abrupt, rough jolt everything was tranquil.

The girls were momentarily paralyzed with shock. "I think it's over," Jackie finally said in a hushed, shaking voice. Lydia simply nodded, pushing away her blanket.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Jackie nodded. "You?"

"Yeah... I'm fine."

Jackie glanced at the closet door and sighed. "Come on."

Helping one another up, they prepared themselves for what they'd see. Jackie grasped the copper handle of the door and turned. Yellow sunlight streamed through the opening.

**A/N: Jen: Oh noooo!!!!!! What's gonna happen now??? Please review and you can find out!!! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Jen: Hey buddies! Long time, no write! So sorry about that by the way. . . We have no excuses. Well, actually, we have a lot of excuses, but we wouldn't want to bore you to tears with our silly teenage drama. Yick.**

**Holly: Hey there guyzers! And this is true, we have had much going on in our wonderful, uneventful lives in East Tennessee. But no worries, with any luck it won't be happening again :]. Now, back to the disclaimers. We own Jackie and Lydia, NOTHING ELSE! :] Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Lydia and Jackie exited the closet to find what they had been expecting. The house was in complete shambles. The unhinged front door had been blown into the hallway, and the dining room table was upside down on top of the beach toys in the kitchen. Lydia felt lightheaded from being tossed so roughly against the wall, and she found it difficult to stumble through the debris. Light filtered in from where the backdoor should have been, and as she approached it she gaped at what she saw. A cornfield. There was a monstrous cornfield surrounding their home, and Lydia blinked a few times before she accepted that what she saw was real. She was too shocked and disoriented to pay any attention to where she set her feet. The field around them shone green and yellow in the afternoon sun, and all was quiet but for the inconstant twitter of a distant bird. Her mouth hung open but she made no effort to snap it shut as she stepped over the threshold she barely knew was there. She realized too late that her foot met air, and by the time she threw her arms out to grip the doorframe, she was lying on the ground.

"Ow." The word was muffled by dirt and scattered corn stalks.

She heard Jackie's awed voice from above her. "What _is_ this place?"

Lydia narrowed her eyes at her friend's lack of consideration. "I'm great, Jackie. Thanks," she muttered as she got to her feet. Turning, she found Jackie jumping down from the doorway. The steps leading down from it had been blown away. Lydia pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as she gazed at the destroyed house. How did they get here? She voiced her thought.

"Well, tornadoes have been known to move buildings," Jackie replied uncertainly.

"To a _cornfield_? Jackie, we live at Virginia Beach," Lydia argued.

Jackie was at a loss for words. True enough, the two of them lived on the beachfront, and the likelihood of them being conveyed to a farming regionwas zero to none. "I don't know, Lydia. I'm as confused as you are on this one."

Lydia sighed, unable to think of an explanation. "Well, what do we do now?"

Jackie shrugged and shook her head. "I guess we look for help."

Lydia nodded. "Right." A moment passed and she watched Jackie, clearly waiting for her to make the first move. She made no sign that she had any intention of leading their way through the sea of maize herself.

Jackie rolled her eyes and sighed in irritated acceptance. "Come on," she muttered, and the two girls began their trek across the cornfield.

A rather long fifteen minutes drug by, and neither of them spoke, each lost in her own thoughts of where they could possibly be leading themselves. Eventually Lydia let out a long sigh.

"Why do I get the feeling we're going in circles?" she asked.

Jackie smiled. "Wow, you're getting that too?" she replied playfully. "You know, I could have sworn we passed that corn stalk just five minutes ago." She nodded toward a random shaft. "'Cause, I swear, it looks very familiar."

Lydia rolled her eyes, fighting a smile herself. "Seriously, though," she said. "Maybe we should go back and try a different route." The two of them turned and surveyed the way they had come. The scenery was no different than where they were heading. They were most definitely lost, and knew it would take a miracle to find the house once again.

"Lydia," Jackie said flatly. "I don't think we'll be going back any time soon."

Lydia raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement. A short second later she heard a sigh from behind and turned to face Jackie. Her friend was gazing at the sky in almost dejection. Following her gaze, Lydia realized what Jackie was seeing. The sun was edging closer to the east, and the lofty corn stalks cast long shadows across the cropland. It would be dark in a couple of hours, and if they didn't find their way out by then it would be nearly impossible to navigate.

"We need to keep going," Jackie said. "We shouldn't be out here in the dark."

They set off once again in silence. Again, neither of them spoke as they made their way across the field. Moments passed and suddenly Jackie let out a small laugh, breaking the reserve. She turned to Lydia, still giggling, and continued walking.

"You know, I was just thinking-" She was cut off unexpectedly as she tripped and fell backwards. There was a dull thud and an "Oof" as she disappeared behind a wall of corn shafts. Lydia's brow furrowed. It almost sounded as if there was more than one person that had hit the ground. She shook this thought as she hurried forward to help her friend.

"Jackie, only you...." She trailed off as she pushed her way through the stalks, gaping down at the sight before her.

Alas, she had been right. Not only was Jackie sprawled on the ground at her feet, but another being, a short and plump, big-footed figure was lying across her torso.

"Oh!" It exclaimed, as it hastily stood from Jackie. "I'm terribly sorry, miss!"

Lydia examined the figure that stood before them. It was no more than a small man, quite round at the belt, and couldn't have been taller than three and a half feet. Curly sand-colored hair grew in a mess from his head. He dressed in strange clothing, and on his back he sported a worn, leather rucksack, as if he were journeying in much earlier days. Lydia half expected to see a Viking erupt from the towering plants next. She studied him up and down. Scrunching her nose, she realized he wore no shoes, and long curly hair, matching that on his head, grew from the tops of his large feet.

He extended a hand toward Jackie, who was still on the ground, though now sitting, clearly studying the man as well. Warily she took it and the man helped her to her feet.

"Err," she said uncertainly. "Thank you." Though shocked, Jackie could not help but be polite. The man did not reply, and the girls soon realized he was now observing them. They shot a glance at one another. This was indeed odd. Although he was quite human-like, neither Jackie nor Lydia could shake the feeling that he was anything but.

"Um, excuse me," Jackie began.

"Oh, yes, I apologize. Your garments are just very unusual...." His face was tainted with pitifully hidden curiosity.

Lydia had narrowly restrained herself from saying, 'So are yours.'

"I'm Samwise Gamgee," he said with a smile, holding out his hand once more.

The girls smiled politely and each shook it in turn.

"I'm Lydia Highmore," Lydia introduced herself. "And this is Jackie Brair." She nodded toward Jackie, who still gazed at the small man.

Samwise opened his mouth to address them once more, but was cut off when another voice sounded from the midst of the corn.

"Sam?" It called out, and a moment later another small man appeared next to them. "Oh," he said in surprise as he spotted the girls.

This man was no taller than the other, though considerably thinner. His hair was a rich dark brown, curly like the one named Sam, and he had polite, piercing blue eyes set in a young face. His clothes were also different and he, too, wore no shoes. He gazed at them uncertainly.

"Who are you?" He asked. His eyes were narrowed in wariness and he made no move to give a kind introduction.

"I'm Jackie, and this is Lydia." It was Jackie who introduced them now, pointing to each of them as she said their names. As an afterthought she added in an honest tone, "We don't mean to cause you any harm."

"What business do you have in the Shire?" The man continued his questions, giving no sign that he had even heard Jackie's statement.

In an attempt to come across as sane as possible, both girls overlooked the fact that neither of them knew what the Shire was. Or, for that matter, _where_ the Shire was. Jackie opened her mouth to respond, but Lydia cut her off, quickly deciding against the truth as the best option.

"We're travelers," she said the first thing that came to her mind, hoping it could pass as believable. Jackie shot her a warning glance, but didn't object. Lydia had proved over the years that she could tell anyone a convincing lie, and walk away unscathed. And with that, Jackie had learned it was best to just go along with it. But under these circumstances, even Lydia found it difficult to construct a decent story.

"Well, for travelers you journey very light." The one named Sam nodded to their backs, bare of any traveling equipment. Lydia's mind reeled.

"That's our problem, you see," she continued. "We were strolling along the road just this morning when we ran into some unfriendly company. They stripped us of all our supplies, and forced us from the path." She paused to examine their expressions. They didn't appear unconvinced, so she resumed their fabrication. "Jackie and I attempted to put as much distance between the bandits and ourselves, but when we arrived in this cornfield we became turned around, and lost our bearings." Again, she paused. The girls relaxed seemingly when they saw both men looked furthermore assured. The dark haired one's face still displayed a look of mild uncertainty, but Lydia felt they were steadily winning him over. "If you could simply point us in the right direction, we'll be out of your way."

He scrutinized them thoughtfully for a short moment. The girls surveyed the situation as he finally turned to face his companion, seeking admonition.

"Sam?" he inquired his friend's view.

"I don't know, Mister Frodo," he replied in an undertone, as if he would rather Jackie and Lydia not hear him. The girls overlooked the other man's odd name as well. They felt it shouldn't surprise them, and in any case they were more concerned with which direction the conference would lead. "I believe 'em. But you know my soft nature." He gave a smile as if he knew Frodo was all too aware of the inconvenience it could cause. "Maybe we should help 'em. What harm could a couple of lasses do in the end?"

The girls' spirits brightened. Indeed, it sounded as if the conversation was in their favor.

Frodo looked thoughtful as he considered his companion's opinion. A moment passed before he grudgingly nodded.

"Alright," he sighed. He turned to address the girls. "You may accompany us as far as Bree. But no further. You can rest and resume your travels there."

"Thank you!" The girls said at once. Ignoring the fact that they had no idea what would greet them in this place called Bree, they felt accomplished, and more so relieved. At least now they would be out of the cornfield by nightfall.

Frodo gave them a nod, but did not move. "I need your word," he said. He no longer looked wary, but his voice held that of someone desperately seeking a safe promise.

They did not argue. "Our word," they said together, mustering as much honesty as they could.

He nodded once again, and the four of them resumed their expedition across the field.

**A/N: Jen: Reviews make us happy! But if you can't be bribed with our own happiness, we will give every person who reviews a cookie! **_**Holy Moly!!! **_**:D**

**Holly: Or for those wonderful beings with something wrong with them who don't like cookies or happiness, we will review a story of your own. :] Good offer, eh?**


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